The Untold Story of the Equestrian Civil War
by mint20
Summary: Everypony hates war. This much is clear. For the past thousand years, peace has reigned in Equestria. Thanks to a clever combination of diplomacy and the threat of military action. But now, a new threat surfaces. A rift is forming, and civil war is brewing. I'm assuming that you know of the Mane Six and the events of Season 4. If not, SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: DIVISION

_The Untold Story of the Equestrian Civil War_

"Let's _go,_ Spike!" Princess Twilight yelled. "We're going to miss the train!"

"Coming!" came the answering shout. The purple dragon stumbled down the stairs. "It doesn't help," he grumbled, "that your new castle is so dang _big!_"

At this, Twilight smiled, somewhat uneasily. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" she said. "I still can't believe that this is _my_ castle, now. It's a little overwhelming."

"Now, let's go! We have things to do, ponies to meet! The train to Canterlot leaves in less than five minutes! Move, Spike!"

The dragon and the pony charged out of the crystal castle and ran to the train station. They made it without incident, and boarded the train with fifteen seconds to spare. They settled into the standard priced car, with Princess Twilight ignoring the uncomfortable looks of awe that the average citizens gave her. As a Princess, she had near unlimited access to the royal treasury, and could easily afforded to upgrade to first class, or even rent her own private car for the trip. She refused, however, instead opting to not allow her newfound political power and economic wealth to interfere with her personal life. She chose to stay loyal to the principles of Equestria, the ones that allowed the three tribes to come together all those years ago, under a single banner.

The trip passed with few events of note. Soon, the screeching of brakes was heard, and the train shuddered to a halt just outside the city of Canterlot. The pristine capital of the most peaceful nation on the planet shined brightly, with the white marble making it almost impossible to look directly at in the bright noon light. It seemed as if the glorious capital, founded over a thousand years ago after the destruction of the Lunar Rebellion, had stood forever, and was untouched by the very idea of war. Thanks to clever diplomacy and the threat of the Elements of Harmony, not to mention the fact that Celestia could shroud any aggressing nation in night forever, and refuse to allow their crops to grow, Equestria had avoided any real instance of war for a thousand years.

"Princess!" came the call from a pony that Twilight didn't know, but, based off of the tone of her voice, clearly adored her. This, of course, drew attention to the fact that Princess Twilight was walking amongst the citizens, and soon, she was surrounded by a group of adoring fans of the Princess, before she had time to fully realize what was going on.

"Princess, can I have your autograph?"

"Princess, I would be honored to have you at my dinner party!"

She even thought she heard a stallion yell, "Princess, will you marry me?!" but couldn't identify the source.

Thankfully, she was saved by the Royal Guard, who extracted her from the mob and escorted her to the center of the city, where the keep of Canterlot Castle, and the seat of Equestria's government was found. One of the most well-protected spots in the entire nation, huge war machines stood on the rampants, in the off-chance anypony dared to try the might of one of the greatest superpowers in the world. The last time they were used was during the Battle for Canterlot, during the short-lived Changeling Insurrection. Before that, never. War was a foreign concept to the world, with Equestria keeping the peace.

When Princess Twilight and her friends were forced to give up the Elements of Harmony, ripples were sent throughout the stage of world politics. Suddenly, Equestria was no longer the nation that could easily end any wars. Sure, the Princesses could still shroud parts of the land in night and starve out a nation, but that was a tricky business that could end disastrously. The two Royal Sisters had called a meeting of the Princesses of Equestria to address the fouling politics between the Changelings and Equestria, among other things.

As she entered the castle, she heard elevated voices. Shocked, Twilight realized that the voices in question belonged to Princess Celestia and Luna.

"...and I'm _telling you,_ dear Tia, that the ponies will never stand for this! They will revolt!"

"Nonsense! This isn't a thousand years, ago, Luna. The ponies of Equestria would never revolt. They adore us. The militaristic times of Equestria have ended. War isn't even on their minds. Revolution would be the _last _thing to happen to this country."

"Celestia-"

"Luna, if I may," interjected a third voice, one the Twilight recognized as belonging to Cadance. "Luna is right, Celestia. Think of what you are proposing! You want to station troops in every settlement of Equestria! I can guarantee that nopony of Equestria will like this. What else will happen? You have to pay and feed these troops, don't you? Raised taxes? A crop levy? Nopony will take that lying down. On top of that, a good portion will think that this is some excuse to start to take some of their rights. Conspiracy theories will start flying. Trust me, all of this will happen."

"Times are changing, Cadance, Luna. Things must be sacrificed for security. Surely, they will see my wisdom."

Twilight cleared her throat as she watched this argument, causing the ponies gathered around the table to start. They recovered quickly, and turned to smile at the young Princess. Twilight thought that Luna and Celestia's smiles looked rather forced, plastered on as if to convince themselves nothing was wrong.

"Am I interrupting?" Twilight asked, acutely aware of the incredibly tense situation that she had walked in on, but also aware that, as a Princess, she had both the right and the obligation to know what was going on with her comrades.

"Not at all, Twilight," said Celestia smoothly, before either Cadance or Luna could say anything. "Now that Princess Twilight is here, I move to open this council. All in favor?"

All of the present Princesses raised a hoof.

"Now, first order of business…"

The meeting in session, Twilight paid rapt attention to everything said. Not that it was all that interesting, in all honesty. There was some discussion about a slight increase in the value of the bit, the neighboring buffalo tribes, and there was a lengthy report on the affairs of the Crystal Empire presented by Princess Cadance.

As she finally ended her long winded speech, the Princesses nodded and Celestia said, "Thank you, Princess Cadance, for the update in the affairs of Equestria's closest ally."

"Now, we turn to the final matter of business: the Changelings, and other foreign threats."

There was a slight increase in tension around the room.

Either not noticing or not caring. Princess Celestia continued, "We have received multiple reports of increased military activity from all known Changeling hives, not just the one that Chrysalis ruled. As of now, our intelligence network is attempted to determine the reason for this increased militarization, but we do not currently know."

Twilight felt a cold shiver down her spine, but the Princess wasn't done. "In addition, the Diamond Dogs living belowground have also become more and more aggressive. In the past two months alone, I have received eight separate reports of ponynapping throughout the entire land of Equestria."

"Clearly something must be done. Ever since we lost the Elements, every foreign power seems to be inclined to challenge us."

"You have always had, and will always possess, the backing of the Crystal Empire in these affairs," said Princess Cadance.

"I know," replied Celestia, smiling at the pink Alicorn. "However, I fear that that might not be enough. I think," here she looked around the table, with an air of finality, "it is time to put the past behind us and look to the future. In the past, the Elements. working in concert with both my sister's might and mine combined was always enough to ward off potential attackers. Unfortunately, the Elements are no longer with us. Instead, they are locked away in the Tree of Harmony. This has provoked every major power with a thimble's worth of troops to attack us. In light of these disturbing times, I propose this timetable," here she raised a sheet of paper, covered in figures, "for the building of armies and production of arms throughout Equestria."

There was stunned silence for a long moment. Quietly, Twilight grabbed the timetable and studied it for a moments, running figures through her head. "Princess Celestia," she asked after analyzing the document, "where is all this money going to come from? I estimate that this proposal would cost at least twelve and a half billion bits to put into play. I mean, look at this! 'Construction of eight military forts along the Badland border. Tripling of the Equestrian Navy. Commissioning of ten new Armies of the Equestria...One hundred thousand swords, two thousand ballista, one thousand five hundred catapults. Eight _million_ arrows, two hundred thousand bows!... All of the above to be completed by January 1st, 1006 CYP.'" Here, she looked up at her former mentor, shocked. "That's less than nine months from now! How in the wide, wide realm of Equestria are we going to fund all this?!"

Princess Celestia inclined her head briefly, and said. "I planned to increase the national income tax by eighteen percent. In addition, there is ten billion bits inside the national treasury that we can use."

"You mean the five billion bits that I, not three days ago, earmarked to improve public education, and the other five, which I earmarked for medical research?" Princess Luna asked coldly.

Celestia nodded.

"Increase the tax rate by eighteen percent? Nopony will like that," Twilight said, shuddering at the look she could already see forming on Applejack's face. "Isn't there some other way?"

"Not that I can see," responded Celestia.

"Well, I must object!" said Princess Luna, rather loudly. "I promised the citizens of Equestria that those funds would be used for the public good, not to make the tools of war. I cannot go back on my word."

"I am inclined to agree with Princess Luna, Celestia," said Princess Cadance. "May I also add that the proposition to station large amounts troops in every settlement of Equestria, even those far away from any border, is a disturbing one, at best?"

"May I remind you, Princess Cadance," said Celestia, the tiniest of hints of irritation in her voice, "that as the ruler of the Crystal Empire, under the terms of the Equestrian-Crystalline Alliance, you are allowed to sit and listen to the counsel of Equestria. However, you are _not_ allowed to vote or make decisions for me."

"Yes, I am aware," replied Cadance, with a small hint of anger that matched Celestia's. "However, I _am_ allowed to make recommendations to the rulers of Equestria."

"Very well," Princess Celestia said. "Now, Princess Twilight."

Twilight paused for a long moment. _I don't know. On one hoof, Equestria has to do _something, _or we may be overrun by an enemy. On the other, though...this cost would be astronomical, and I don't think I'm comfortable with a few hundred combat-ready ponies being stationed in Ponyville full-time, especially since Ponyville is so far away from any border…_

Knowing the weight of her next few words, Twilight shifted uncomfortably before opening her mouth. Wishing that she was anywhere but there, she said slowly, "Princess...Princess Luna is right. We cannot, in good faith, force the ponies of Equestria to accept these increased taxes and security. At least, we should put it to a vote." Her bit said, she blinked a few times, just now becoming aware of the heat in her cheeks.

Celestia blinked a few times, as if she was just struck over the head with a heavy object, several times. She seemed shocked that Twilight would openly disagree with her.

"Well," Celestia said. "I'm shocked. I thought for sure that my proposition had some logic to it."

"It does," replied Twilight. "The cost is too high, though." The other Princesses nodded their agreement.

Suddenly, Celestia had a flash of anger. Suppressing it, she said, with barely controlled sarcasm, "Well, since _you_ run the Royal Council now, I suppose I will figure out a new proposition."

"Princess Celestia," Twilight said, sounding confused, "nopony 'runs' the Royal Council. It's a group collaboration."

Celestia snorted, then said, "Well, is there any more business for this council to hear?"

Nopony spoke.

"No? Then I move to close the council. All in favor?"

Everypony raised a hoof.

"Very well. This council is closed."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

_The Untold Story of the Equestrian Civil War_

Twilight Sparkle slowly walked into the room in Canterlot Castle that she and Spike were sharing. Deep in thought, she sat down near the door and mulled over all the things she had heard in Royal Council.

So deep in thought she was that when the door opened with a slight creak, she did not even notice until Spike poked her in the leg, yelling "Twilight!"

"Huh?" she started, snapping out of the trance.

"I _said_, how was the meeting?" repeated Spike, showing a bit of annoyance.

"Oh, fine. Just fine." replied Twilight. "We'll stay for the ceremony later this evening, and that will be it. We leave tomorrow."

"Refresh me again, what's with this ceremony you keep talking about?"

"Oh," said Twilight with a slight blush, "it's nothing really. Apparently, the ponies want to honor me for my clash against Tirek. They seem to be falling all over themselves to shake my hoof, ask that I attend whatever function they are planning, anything. They're even calling my fight the 'Great Battle of the Everfree Forest!' It's absurd!"

Spike snickered slightly. "Didn't you say you wanted the fame?"

Twilight paused, then said, "Well...yeah, I did. But this is out of hoof! I didn't even win! It was a stalemate!"

"No, not exactly...in the end, Tirek was still imprisoned,"

Twilight, as caught up as she was in her feelings, was shaken back to reality by Spike's logic. She hesitated for a long moment, then said, "Maybe so, but I had the backing of my friends, also. Why aren't they being honored, with me?"

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but did not get the chance, for at that moment, the door banged open and in charged five other ponies. Twilight instantly recognized them, for she would recognize her five best friends anywhere.

"Girls!" she exclaimed, jumping up. Before she could get another word in, she was smothered in a group hug.

As they slowly deattached, Twilight looked ruefully at Spike and said, "I guess that answers my question."

He simply nodded.

"So, what's up?" asked Pinkie. "How did the council go?"

Twilight shifted slightly in place, then said, "Well, it was...rather boring."

"Anythin' interesting?" Applejack asked.

Again, Twilight hesitated briefly before replying, "No, not much. "

Twilight glanced over at Rainbow Dash, just in time to catch a look of doubt that crossed her face. However, it vanished so quickly Twilight was left wondering whether or not she had actually seen it.

"Anyways," Twilight said, hoping to quickly change the subject, "the ceremony is in three hours. Rarity, can I assume that you are prepared?"

"Of course! I was up half the night making last-minute adjustments to our old gala dresses. They're at the room Applejack and I are sharing. Maybe we should check them?"

"You go," Twilight said. "I'm certain that anything you made will be wonderful."

Rarity flashed Twilight a smile, then left with Applejack.

"Now, there's only a few hours left until the ceremony. You girls really should get settled in, so we can get ready."

All of the remaining ponies muttered their assent and dispersed. All except for one, though.

"Rainbow, what are you doing here? You should be moving."

Rainbow shook her head, saying "You want to tell me why you lied about what happened at the council?"

Slightly shocked, but not completely off-guard, Twilight blinked a few times, then said, "Why do you think I did?"

"Please," she snorted. "I know you well enough to know when you lying. You never were any good at it."

Twilight rolled her eyes, realizing that Dash was right, and also realizing that she would not back down until she told her the truth.

"Okay. You got me. Before I tell you, though, do you think the others know?"

Again, Rainbow snorted and said, "Without a doubt. But they are much less willing to confront you than me."

"True," Twilight said. "Well, at the council...I fear for the future. Many agendas are being pushed there. If I'm right...Equestria is about to face one of its greatest threats: itself."

Rainbow's eyes widened slightly at her words, then shook her head slightly, saying "Are you sure you aren't over-exaggerating? After all, this _is _Equestria, ya know? Land of harmony and peace and all that good stuff?"

Twilight hesitated, then smiled slightly. "Maybe I am being overly dramatic," she admitted. "I...I don't know, though."

Rainbow patted her back gently. "Just remember, we've got your back." In a more pointed tone, she added, "You shouldn't be afraid to share details with us. After all, you do draw your power from us, Princess of Friendship."

Twilight giggled, then said, "Alright. From now on, I will be completely open with you girls. Deal?"

"Done," said Dash. "Now, I think you, _Princess,_ need to get ready. You are the guest of honor, after all."

"Oh, stop that!" Twilight said. "The battle was a team effort, after all."

"Maybe the final victory, but the core of the fighting was done by _you_," Rainbow countered. "You were almost as awesome as me out there!"

"Almost?!" Twilight replied. "I was the first that was able to resist him! _You weren't!_ _And_ the battle destroyed half of the Everfree Forest! Teams from Ponyville are _still_ repairing the damage! How is that _not_ awesome?"

"I didn't say that it wasn't awesome, just that it wasn't as awesome as me."

At this Twilight throw up her hooves, tired of sparring with Rainbow. "Fine, whatever!" she yelled.

Rainbow snickered. "And so I once again claim victory," she muttered, just quiet enough to slip under Twilight's hearing. She quickly bade Twilight good-bye and left. Blinking in the harsh sun, she started back to her room when she caught a glimpse of...something.

"What...? " Turning back, she yelled, "Hey, Twilight?"

"Yeah?" came the response.

"Was an edict passed in the council?"

At this, there were a few muffled bangs, and the door opened. "What?" said a rather surprised looking Twilight. "No. Aside from a slight decrease in tariffs for precious gems to and from Equestria, nothing."

"Well, then why is there a huge crowd assembled?"

At hearing this, Twilight relaxed. "They may just be assembling for the ceremony."

"Are you sure? How many adoring fans do _you_ think would be carrying signs that read, 'Down with the tyranny!'?"

"What?! That can't be right!" exclaimed Princess Twilight, thinking about Celestia's militarization proposition. "That proposition was shot down. She couldn't implement it…"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I see them as clear as day. Whether you shot down her proposition or not, _somepony_ did _something,_ and the ponies of Canterlot don't like it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: POWER

_The Untold Story of the Equestrian Civil War_

Twilight flew over the mass of ponies, Rainbow following her closely. Looking over the mob, Twilight quickly picked Princess Celestia out of the crowd. Near her stood Princess Luna, and from what Twilight could see, saying that Luna was angry would be the understatement of the century.

Twilight quickly landed beside Celestia, unsure of how to proceed. Before she could say anything, Princess Celestia greeted her by saying, "Hello, Twilight."

Cautiously, Twilight stepped forward and said, "Hello, Princess. If you will pardon me, what in the name of all things under your bright, ever-warm sun is going on here?!" Having said that, she took several deep breathes, and added "Sorry," in a small voice.

With a half-amused, half-irritated smile, Celestia replied, "Well, this is slightly awkward. Princess Twilight, I am sorry to say that I have done what has to be done."

"W-what - precisely - does that mean?"

"It means," replied Princess Luna, "that my dear sister has upstarted the established Equestrian Constitution and taken all of the carefully distributed power into her own hooves."

Twilight's jaw dropped so far that she almost felt it hit her hooves. Quickly shutting her mouth, the young Princess looked up to her former mentor and said, in a shaking voice, "You...you passed your militarization bill, didn't you?"

Celestia nodded, saying, "I did what I had to. This bill will benefit Equestria far more than it will harm it."

Twilight replied, saying, "Princess, you know as well as I do that Equestria has a constitution that limits your ability to do things like pass laws. You can't just up and pass such a massive bill like this without the approval of your fellow Princesses! Forgive me for saying this, but, in one decisive move, you just nullified all of Equestria's constitution!"

"Yes, I did," said Princess Celestia. "And you know what? If I had to choose between protecting that old, musty document and protecting the huge, diverse nation that Equestria has become, I would make the same decision all over again."

Here, Princess Luna came up to stand beside Twilight, facing her elder sister. "Tia, please, back down. Rescind this proposition. Together, we can figure this out. Please!"

Celestia hesitated for a long moment, and it looked like she might give in. But then her eyes firmed up. "I am sorry, dear sister, but I can't do that. I can not appear weak in front of the ponies of Equestria."

Luna snorted angrily. "If admit you made a mistake, that's not showing weakness! It wisdom, and courage, and ponies will recognize you for it! You're always like this, Tia! Even a thousand years ago, you simply refused to see the fact that you are not a goddess. You make mistakes."

Twilight could see that Luna was starting to tick Celestia off. The early stages of a dark scowl were forming on her face, and she was breathing slightly heavier, as if to forcefully calm herself down.

"I'm sorry, sister, that it had to come to this," went on Luna, "but I have no choice. The Equestrian Constitution is quite clear on this matter. If a Princess oversteps her bounds, it is my duty to inform her as such. If she fails to retract the trespassing action, I am left with but one option: I must immediately brand her a traitor and remove her from power. So I officially ask you, Princess Celestia, to retract this edict."

At this, Princess Twilight blinked a few times. She, of course, knew of the passage in question that Princess Luna was referencing. However, the title of traitor and the immediate and permanent removal from power was reserved for Princesses that were either blatantly placing their own interests over the nation's or an open and undeniable threat to the same. Rather, it seemed to Twilight that Celestia's actions fell more neatly into the category of one who was undermining the other Princess's power, with was punished by suspension and immediate arrest, until such time the Princess in question could be tried for her actions.

Suspicions starting to grow, she backed off a few steps, and whispered to Rainbow Dash, who was busy attempting to clam the ponies down, "Quickly. Clear the square, and gather the others. I'm calling the first emergency meeting of the Council of Harmony. We will meet immediately after I'm done talking with the Princesses."

Rainbow nodded, and took to the skies. If the other Princesses noticed the exchange, they gave no sign of it, instead glaring into each other eyes. Quietly, Twilight cast a hooful of spells, meant to stop other ponies from hearing what was happening between the two Princesses. She reasoned (correctly, of course) that a dispute of this magnitude might cause ponies to panic. The citizens of Equestria were not known for being the most calm, rational beings out there.

Good thing too, for Celestia said, soon after the spells were in place, "I'm afraid I can't back down. I did what was best for Equestria, and I stand by my decision."

Luna snorted angrily, then shot back, "Fine. I didn't want to do this, but as of this moment, you are stripped of all of your power. Also-"

"Stop!" yelled Twilight. Surprised, Luna stopped speaking. "Luna, you're right. Celestia has overstepped the bounds set by the Constitution. However, the punishment you are giving is too harsh. The Constitution does not allow for you to strip her of power and brand her a traitor! With all due respect, Luna, I will take it from here."

Here, Twilight turned to Celestia and said, slightly nervously, "Princess Celestia, you have overstepped your authority and undermined the power of your fellow Princesses. What do you say in response?"

Celestia let a small smirk though her mask of tranquility and said, "Oh, Twilight. Brave talk, but I'm afraid that be you and me know that it's just that: Talk. You and I both know that you will not actually arrest me."

Twilight blinked twice. Princess Celestia was right, of course. How could Twilight arrest her mentor? Plus, she had only done what was best for Equestria. Maybe she did take drastic measures. Was that so bad?

She shook her head, vigorously. Focus, now, Twilight. Mentor or no, Princess Celestia has broken the law. Now, you must dispense the necessary justice. Taking a deep breath, Twilight opened her mouth and said, "No, Princess. Maybe I won't. However, I'm pretty sure that if I called them over-" she pointed to the nearby Royal Guard "-and explained the situation to them, they would arrest you. After all, their first allegiance is to Equestria as a nation, not to any one Princess."

If Twilight didn't know better, she would say that Princess Celestia was dumbstruck. She blinked two or three times, then said, "Well. That is interesting. Unfortunately, I do not intend to spend the next six months in a jail cell. So, how about this...compromise? I will retract this bill if and only if you two give me your solemn word that we will consider some alternate to my proposition. I don't want to upstart the Constitution, but I also don't want to see Equestria and the citizens fall to some foreign power." As she ended her proposal, Twilight could swear that she almost had tears in her eyes.

Which is impossible. Right?

Twilight nodded, saying "As much as I disagree with your methods, you're right. Maybe we just needed a reality check." Luna nodded, slightly absentmindedly.

"Now, I need to inform the Council of Harmony what has happened here," Twilight recalled. "How about we meet back in the palace in an hour?"

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>"Twilight, what the hay is going on?" Applejack asked as the Alicorn burst into the hastily-assembled meeting room the Council had commandeered. The owner wasn't too happy, but a quick visit by Princess Twilight, the great national hero she was, sorted him out.<p>

"I must ask the same," added Rarity. "Rainbow just nearly broke into the room, claiming that she was acting under your orders. She tore me away from my dresses! You understand that I need to work on them, right?!"

"Oh, I hope everything is alright," whispered Fluttershy.

Twilight took a couple deep breaths, then said, "Well, I suppose now is as good of a time as ever. As Princess of Friendship, I call this emergency meeting into order."

"Okay, okay, that's all good," said Rainbow. "Now that you've gotten all the egghead talk out of the way, will you SPILL IT ALREADY?" The others nodded their agreement, Pinkie even sitting still with anticipation.

Twilight took another steadying breath, then said, in a voice that sounded as if it should be saved for pronunciations of doom, "Girls, there has been an attempted coup of the Equestrian Constitution."

Each of her five friends took the news with differing levels of shock. Rarity let out her signature gasp, Fluttershy whimpered and started to curl up into a ball, Pinkie simply looked confused. Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash both got rather combative looks on their faces.

"Who did it, huh? Who's flank do I need to kick in?" asked Rainbow, putting up her front hooves.

"None other than Princess Celestia herself," replied Twilight, smirking slightly as the pegasus abruptly sat down, struck dumb by the revelation. Not that she was the only one.

"Ah, you're serious, right?" asked Applejack.

"Deadly," replied Twilight. She then sighed and said, "Look, I didn't tell you the whole truth about what happened at the council…"

And so she told them everything, like she should have done in the first place, going over Celestia's bill, the implications of it, how the rest of the council reacted to it, and Celestia's attempt to enforce it, despite the protests. As she spoke, she took careful note of her friend's reactions, trying to gauge their opinions. As she explained how expanded the military would become, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both looked thoughtful, but supportive of the idea. By contrast, Rarity and Applejack both had suspicion on their faces, as if the puzzle was not complete yet. As Twilight explained how much taxes would have to be raised, both Rarity and Applejack had their looks of caution get replaced by heavy scowls. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked unfazed, though.

As Twilight ended her speech, Rainbow Dash shook her head, saying, "You know, I barely had any idea of what you were saying there. Whatever you meant, though, I know that we stand beside you."

All of the other ponies nodded...but with varying degrees of enthusiasm.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: DEBATES

_The Untold Story of the Equestrian Civil War_

Twilight threw open the door to the palace, panting slightly. Running back and forth, attempting to stop a crisis, can put a lot of strain on a pony.

The sight Twilight saw was eerily similar to the one she saw earlier the same day. Princess Celestia and Luna sat in their places around the table, each one with a rather intense look on their face, as if somepony was attempting to pry something precious away from them. Between them sat Princess Cadance, who managed to pull off looking both worried and annoyed at the same time. The tension around the table was so high, Twilight could feel waves of it pouring over her, threatening to drown her if she wasn't careful.

_There is so much power here, it would be too easy to accidentally cause a catastrophe,_ Twilight thought to herself, then shook her head and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Hello, all," she said, walking over to her spot at the table. "We are assembled to discuss potential military reforms to be made to the Principality of Equestria. I would like to call this meeting to order."

"Before we begin," said Celestia, "I would like to ask Princess Luna how _this_ ended up in the streets of Canterlot." She flourished a slightly torn and tattered poster that depicted an emblem that was colored deep blue. In the center, a crescent moon with its points turned up was prominently displayed, with a lighter shade of blue wings attached to it. In the middle of the moon, a line was drawn up to a solitary star. This poster was captioned_Resist Tyranny: The New Lunar Republic_.

With a falling feeling, Princess Twilight turned to Luna and raised an eyebrow. "I would like to hear that story as well," Twilight said. _New Lunar Republic? What? How much moonshine has this pony been drinking?_

Luna squirmed uncomfortably, then said, "Well, I didn't to bring this up, but, since we are showing scandals about each other, how about _this_ one?" Here, she also pulled out a poster, this one with a gold emblem. It was somewhat similar in design to the New Lunar Republic's, but the wings were folded in and instead of the crescent moon piece, there was a yellow sun in a red border. It was captioned _Loyalty to the Solar Empire._

Princess Cadance took an expression similar to that of Twilight. That is, her jaw hit the table. "Solar Empire?!" she said, sputtering. "Are you two drunk?"

"I agree with Cadance," added Twilight. "What, in all the name of all things under the sun and moon, is going on here?"

"It is clear what is going on here," Princess Celestia said. "My _dear sister_ here is inciting rebellion against the proper government of Equestria!"

"_Me? Inciting rebellion?_" shot back Luna. "Preposterous! No, what is going on here is my _sister_ is undermining my authority! Having to share power isn't her style, so she's going to take it all for herself. Watch out, Twilight! She'll be after you next!"

Celestia, who by now had lost her mask of calm, began to yell at her younger sister. Of course, Luna simply started to yell back, and the whole council began to devolve into anarchy.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Both parties quickly shut up as Princess Twilight put down the gavel that she had quickly summoned from a nearby courtroom. "Enough!" she yelled, despite the fact that she already had their attention. "Now, let us act like grown-up ponies that lead a _world superpower _and at least _pretend _to get along, shall we?"

The Princesses didn't acknowledge her statement, but they didn't dismiss it, either.

"Good. Now, I never thought I would I be acting like the mother to the _two near-goddesses of Equestria, _but it appears there's a first time for everything. So, let's start from the top."

"It appears you _both_ have been spreading false rumors about each other," Princess Cadance observed. When both Celestia and Luna opened their mouths, Cadance raised a hoof and said "No, don't lie to me. I _know_ that you didn't do it in reaction to the other's 'false rumors.' Just how stupid do you think Twilight and I are?"

Neither side responded, but rather eyed each other warily.

"Right," said Twilight. "Clearly, something is going too far. This is absurd! What do you ponies think you are doing?" When they both opened their mouths, Twilight quickly held up a hoof. "No, don't answer that."

Princess Cadance spoke up again, saying "Princess Twilight, it appears to me that they are presenting a clear and immediate threat to Equestria. And through Equestria, also the Crystal Empire. I hate to suggest this, but the Equestrian Constitution is clear…"

Twilight grimaced. "I know. Right now, I'm trying to find a reason to _not_ brand them traitors right this instant."

"Well," Princess Cadance said, looking off into the distance, "I'm no legal expert, but isn't your power derived from your friends? AKA, the Council of Harmony?"

"Yes…" said Twilight, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, if that is the case, shouldn't you consult the Council and reach a conclusion before doing anything...drastic?"

"Of course! I must consult them first!" said Twilight, hoping that the legality (or otherwise) of this decision wouldn't come back to haunt her later. She quickly stood up to leave the hall, but stopped just as she reached the doors.

She turned to the two guards and said, "Sirs, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are under arrest, on charges of causing division amongst ponies."

If the guards were surprised or shocked, they hid it well.

Sighing, Princess Twilight said, "Please, do not tell anypony of this except your fellow guards. Also, do not allow either Princess to leave the room, except under my authorization."

The guards saluted firmly. Taking that as an acknowledgement, Twilight turned and ran towards the exit. As they watched the young Princess leave the building, both guards smiled slightly, and reached for banderas in their armor, which they strapped on. The right guard had a pale gold one, and the left, midnight blue.

* * *

><p>Again throwing open the door to the Council of Harmony, Twilight instantly thought something was wrong. Both Applejack and Rarity were standing in one of the corners, not looking at Pinkie and Fluttershy, who were in the exact opposite corner and mirroring their pose. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash stood leaning against a nearby wall.<p>

"What is going on?" asked Twilight, slightly suspicious.

Before either party could speak, Rainbow seized the initiative and said, "They've been debating almost the whole time you've been gone."

"What about?"

"This and that and the other thing," replied Rainbow Dash. "They keep returning to that bill you told us about, though."

"Well, I have news. Apparently, both Celestia and Luna have been conducting smear campaigns against each other. They're forming factions, for pony's sake!"

This got the remainder of her friend's attention. However, as they came back to their chairs, Twilight noticed that they didn't seem very surprised. She raised a mental eyebrow, but shook her head and said, "These two factions are pushing each other around and spreading false rumors of each other!"

Again, her friends did not seem very surprised. Tentatively, Applejack spoke up. "We didn't want to make you worry," she said, "but we know."

Here, Rarity took over. "The posters have been circling around Ponyville," she added. "You didn't notice because you were too busy moving into your new castle, but most of Ponyville has already picked one side or the other."

Fluttershy and Pinkie nodded.

Twilight was shell-shocked. "How did I miss this?" she muttered. Speaking up, she said, "Well, as the Princess of Friendship, I will not allow this to happen! The line has to be drawn _somewhere_, and quickly, before it's too late."

The members of the Council looked amongst themselves, as if each member was silently weighing their own chances of success. After an uneasy moment, Applejack said, "Well, it seems to me that the best course of action is to throw our support one way o' the other."

Twilight blinked twice. "No," she said. "That _will not_ happen. I plan to ask _both_ Princesses to disband their factions and work this out like civilized creatures. If they don't, I will have no choice but to declare them threats to Equestria, and thus, traitors."

All five members of the Council started at this. Quickly, before anypony else could speak, Rainbow Dash spoke up, saying, "Well, as tricky of a situation as this is, I know that my loyalties are with you, Twilight, and this circle."

Twilight smiled, trying to convey the gratitude she felt towards the pegasus in the simple smile. _It's good to know that _somepony_is backing me up,_ she thought.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Council didn't seem to be buying it. Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, then looked across the table at Fluttershy and Pinkie, who had mirrored their actions. Then, Applejack said, "I'm afraid that Rarity and I can't support that."

Rarity nodded.

Hoping against hope, Twilight turned to her two other friends.

Before she could even open her mouth, Pinkie, unusually somber, shook her head, while Fluttershy avoided Twilight's gaze.

After a moment, Twilight said, in a hollow voice, "You all have already picked sides, haven't you?"

None of her friends answered. They didn't need to, though.

"Why? How has this happened?"

"Well, think about it, Twilight," drawled Applejack. "Celestia has overextended her power one too many times. We have-"

Pinkie jumped up. "Overextended her power?" she yelled. "She's just doing what she feels is necessary, silly! That shouldn't be pun-"

"Doing what she feels is necessary? _Doing what _she_thinks is necessary?!_" Rarity interjected, nearly sputtering in rage. "Maybe she should stop taking all the power for her own use and consult us citizens! Even if-"

"STOP!" Twilight and Rainbow Dash yelled at the same time. Both sides seemed to snap out of it and looked to Twilight.

Twilight sighed, then said, "Don't you see what's happening here?" She would have said more, but was cut off.

"What's happening here isn't important," said Rarity. "It's what's happening out _there_ that matters."

"Yeah, the Princess is trying to protect us, and all you meanies want is to overthrow her!" said Pinkie, provoking Applejack into responding.

"No, all I want is to be _asked_ before this kind of bill is put into motion! Do you know how hard this will be on the farm? I can barely make ends meet as it is! If twenty percent of my profits go to the government, I might be forced to shut down Sweet Apple Acres! Don't even get me started on the inevitable crop levy!"

"Don't forget the boutique!" added Rarity. "Materials for my dresses are far from cheap, and under this, the price will go up! It will be a huge disaster! Plus, I'll be forced to make those dreadful uniforms! Pinkie, you're a small business owner, too. Why don't you see the dreadfulness of this whole thing?"

Pinkie paused for a split second, then said, "Oh, money? I've never had much of a problem with it. Everypony around Ponyville showers me in the stuff whenever I throw them a party. It's great, really. Plus, the safe everypony is, the more they'll want to party!"

Everypony's attention turned to Fluttershy. She gave a visible quiver, but when she spoke, her voice had an underlying note of conviction. "I...I think that Celestia is right. We...we have to do som-something. As hard as it is, we have t-to protect Equestria."

Twilight was shell-shocked. Fluttershy, of all ponies, taking a stand supporting a faction. _If _she_supports one side, then who else will?_

Before Twilight could think up something to say, though, Rainbow Dash stole the show. She stood up and said, "Come on, no way. This is all one massive joke, right? ...right?"

When nopony said anything, Rainbow's face hardened. With an angry posture, she flew up a few feet and said, "I...I don't know what is going on here. What happened? Doesn't loyalty meaning anything here?" When she said this and nopony answered, her face got darker, and she said, "Well, I know one thing for sure. I'm _not _about to allow your little betrayal make _me_ break _my_ bonds of loyalty."

"We didn't betray-"

"Yes, you have. Only traitors put stupid political differences before their friendship."

There was a firm knock on the door, causing the entire circle to jump. Quickly, Twilight jumped up and answered it.

"Your Highness, news from the Palace," said a somewhat nervous-looking guard. "Both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are making announcements. Also, Princess Cadance has disappeared."


End file.
